Misbehaving pupils face the prospect of being told to pick up litter or write out lines hundreds of times under plans by the education secretary, Michael Gove, for a return to traditional classroom discipline.

New guidelines for teachers, to be issued this week, will say that "tough but proportionate" punishments such as writing lines "are just as crucial to an effective education as praising and rewarding good behaviour", the Department for Education (DfE) said.

Penalties could include picking up litter in the playgrounds, weeding, tidying classrooms and removing graffiti. Pupils could also be ordered to report to school early, clean dining halls or forfeit privileges such as joining in a non-uniform day.

Gove, who has long railed against "trendy" teaching methods, said he wanted to send a message to teachers that they should not be afraid to "get tough" on bad behaviour in school.

"Our message to teachers is clear – don't be afraid to get tough on bad behaviour and use these punishments," he said.

"The best schools already ask pupils who are behaving poorly to make it up to their teachers and fellow pupils through community service. I want more schools to follow their example by making badly behaved pupils pick up litter or help clear up the dining hall after meal times.

"Standards of behaviour are already improving in schools but there is much more still to do. These new guidelines will give teachers the confidence to be tougher on bad behaviour and ensure every child has the chance to learn in a controlled, orderly environment."

The department said that while current guidelines make clear the legal backing for setting school punishments, they fail to outline potential sanctions, leaving many heads and teachers unclear of what action they can take.

There had been significant progress on improving behaviour since 2010, the DfE said, but almost one in three secondary teachers did not feel confident using the powers they have to discipline pupils.

The deputy general secretary of the National Union of Teachers, Kevin Courtney, said: "It has to be remembered that the majority of our schools have good levels of behaviour and many of the deterrents mentioned, such as litter detention, will already be used in many schools."

He said that "sufficient training at teacher training level and access to ongoing support and training throughout their careers" was needed to make sure teachers were confident when faced with difficult situations.

"Michael Gove's policy of abandoning QTS [qualified teacher status] and running down local authority support services undermines both of these."

Writing in the Sun On Sunday, Gove said the UK currently had "the best ever generation of teachers and the best ever generation of heads", who deserved "the powers and the confidence they need to ensure every student is on their best behaviour".

He wrote: "We will make clear that tried and tested punishments remain appropriate responses to bad behaviour – writing lines, essay-writing, uniform checks, weekend detentions, being told to report early in the morning and through the day.

"Above all, I want to see pupils make up for bad behaviour to teachers and classmates – replacing the culture of disobedience with a culture of community service."

In a message to teachers, Gove said: "You have a green light to get tough, and tell the troublemakers to give something back."